You're ready to have a baby, and you want to do everything you can to increase your odds of conceiving. You know that good nutrition is essential to health, and you've heard about fertility supplements. Now you're wondering which vitamins and minerals are the best to enhance your fertility. Prenatal vitamins are specifically formulated to meet the needs of both women who are pregnant and those who hope to be soon.
Antioxidants
Conception and healthy pregnancy depend on the health of the cells involved. A mother's egg cells and a father's sperm cells can, like any other cell in the human body, become damaged. Results of damaged egg and sperm cells may be infertility, or if an embryo is created from damaged cells, it may have genetic conditions that result in miscarriage. The American Dietetic Association describes antioxidants as "dietary substances" that can prevent and repair cell damage. Common examples includes vitamins C and E and the trace mineral selenium. You can add antioxidants to your diet with both supplements and foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts.
Coenzyme Q10
Not all antioxidants are available through your diet. Recent studies are pointing the positive impact of Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, on male fertility. CoQ10 is made by the body, and any additional amounts necessary will need to be supplemented with capsules or tablets. CoQ10 seems to factor especially in the DNA health of older cells, so some fertility experts are also recommending it to women who are trying to conceive in their 30s or 40s.
Zinc
The mineral zinc may prove to be important for both male and female fertility. The American Dietetic Association says that low vitamin C and zinc will result in sperm that clump together. Men should aim for 11mg of zinc daily and can get it via supplements, shellfish, fortified cereal, red meat, and poultry. For women, a recent study points to dramatic new understandings of zinc's role in an egg cell's development. It must be noted this was a study of mice, and was published in the September 2010 issue of Nature Chemical Biology.
Don't Forget Folic Acid
Folate, or folic acid, doesn't factor into the chances that you will get pregnant, but it's even more important for you to be adding to your diet than any of the above. That's because it's a scientifically-established fact that folic acid in a mother's diet -- at levels present before she conceives -- can play a big part in the occurrence of certain birth defects like spina bifida. Specifically, neural tube defects are less likely to occur in babies if the mother takes a minimum of 400mcg daily. The Centers for Disease Control says best way to get folic acid in your diet is through a combination of a vitamin supplement, breakfast cereals and breads that are fortified, plus orange juice and green vegetables.
References
- American Dietetic Association EatRight.org: What Is an Antioxidant?
- "Fertility & Sterility"; Coenzyme Q10 treatment in infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia: a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized trial; G Balercia, et al.; May 2009
- American Dietetic Association EatRight.org: Fertility and Men's Diet
- Futurity: What's zinc got to do with fertility?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Folic Acid Quiz
